By Coach Tom Bass

The time will soon be here when young players all over the USA will be going out for their high school football team for the first time. An enormous number of you have written in asking about what you should expect with this first experience. Today, let's begin by looking at some of your questions and concerns.

What Position Should I Try Out For?

If you have had experience playing a certain position for a youth team, you may want to use this experience and continue at that position. If you have never played tackle football before, and many of you have not, then you should look at the various positions on the team and try to realistically find one that suits your physical skills and temperament.

As a general rule, the bigger you are, the closer to the ball you should be before the play begins. Smaller, faster players usually have more success playing away from the ball as a wide receiver or defensive back. Bigger players seem more suited to playing on the offensive and defensive lines.

It is also important to understand that competition for the so-called glamour positions, quarterback and running back, usually will have the greatest competition for the fewest positions on the team. Only one quarterback can be in a game at one time, while there will be five offensive linemen playing at the same time. Try to find the position that is going to give you the best opportunity to play in the games.

Realize that no matter which position you go out for at the beginning of the season, there is every possibility that your coaches may move you to another position after observing you workout. This type of move is done to give you the best opportunity to play and to strengthen the overall team. During the four years that I played high school football, I moved to a different position each year. Do not be surprised if this happens to you and be positive about the move.

What Will Practice Be Like?

This may be the biggest shock for you as a beginning player. Two-a-day practices in the August heat can be extremely hard and you must make sure that you take in enough liquid, food and get enough rest so that you can practice at your best and be mentally alert to learn all of the new information given to you.

You should expect that it will take a few practices before you learn the routine of the practice; to know where to go and how to do the drills correctly, to understand the terminology that the coaches use to describe the techniques you need to learn and to feel comfortable coming together as a team and running the offensive plays and defenses.

Taking time to study away from the field can be a huge help in the beginning. Writing down the drills, listing the terms, diagramming the offensive plays and defensives and listing your assignments can prepare you for practice and make the workout easier for you once you are back out on the field and can anticipate what is going to happen. If you have trouble understanding any part of the game, try to ask the coach after practice to explain it to you right away so that you do not fall behind.

It is important for you to expect to be sore. Football is a contact sport and wearing pads and a helmet for the first time can cause you some discomfort. This is all part of football and you should not be surprised or discouraged when this happens. Practice will become easier for you everyday you are on the field.

At the same time, treat every injury you have and be careful of any blisters you might get, especially if you are wearing football shoes for the first time. Ask your Mom to get you three or four bags of frozen peas that you can keep at home in the freezer. These are great to use at home to ice down bumps and bruises and they can be used over and over.

Make sure you get to the field in plenty of time to get dressed and be on the field before practice actually begins. This will give you a few minutes to relax and adjust your pads prior to the work actually starting.

Try to always be up in the front of the line for every drill. Show the coaches that you are eager to learn and work to get better. Do every drill to the best of your ability. This will not only make you a better player but it will also make your teammates better when they work against you.

After every practice ask yourself two questions. Did I work as hard as I can? Am I a better player leaving the field than when I went in at the start of practice? When you realistically can answer "yes" to both questions, then you are on your way to becoming a successful football player.

In the next column we will look at two other areas faced by the first year player.

Is There Going to be Great Competition?
How to Handle Contact and Playing Bigger Players!

Copyright © Thomas L. Bass 2006. All rights reserved.